BEAUFORT, Henry – Cardinal, brother of Henry IV of England, b. 1377, d. 1447. He played a most important part in English political life. He entered the ecclesiastical career and in 1398 was consecrated bishop of Lincoln. In 1403 he was appointed chancellor; he left office the following year when promoted to the see of Winchester. He exercised great influence over the prince of Wales, who, upon ascending the throne in 1413 as Henry V, recalled him to the chancellorship. Four years later he again resigned office and took part in the Council of Constance, arriving there in September 1417 when the reform and election of a new pope were under discussion. He succeeded in reconciling the emperor Sigismund and the council members; thus in the XXXV session (9 Oct.) certain canons were promulgated, and he was among the electors of Martin V. The latter would have wished to make him a cardinal, but BEAUFORT had to refuse because of the vow imposed by his king.
In 1424, under Henry VI, he became chancellor for the third time, but had to face a long and covert struggle waged against him by his nephew, the duke of Gloucester, regent during the king’s minority. BEAUFORT succeeded in proving the charges groundless, yet he chose to resign the chancellorship anyway.
Pope Martin V again offered him (1426) the cardinal’s hat, which this time Henry accepted. In 1427 he was named papal legate for Germany, Hungary and Bohemia against the Hussites, an office that ended in 1431 with the death of Martin V.
In 1431 he crowned Henry VI king of France with solemn rites in the cathedral of Paris. In 1435 he took part in the Congress of Arras, convened to seek—without success—a path to peace with France. He sat on the tribunal that condemned Joan of Arc to the stake.